Ice cream cabinet



July 14, 1931. J. M. LAIRD ICE CREAM CABINIE'I Filed Nov, 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTO )u.

A TTORNEYJ July 14', 1931. J. M. LMRD ICE CREAM CABINET Filed Nov. 28, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 INVENTOR.

D m W M A 5 M v f m a u Q. A E 3 1; a w 2.1. m r %7Z/ z w L 42% K rit L J 4 I a ATTORNEY-3 July 14, 1931. J, LAIRD 1,814,167

ICE CREAM CABINET Filed Nov. 28, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet- 4 INVENTOR A TTORNEYS July 14, J M LAIRD I ICE CREAM CABINET Filed Nov. 28, 1927 5 sheets-sheet. 5

IN VEN TOR.

Patented July 14, 1 931 PATENT OFFICE JAMES M. LAIRD, or CHARLESTON, WEST vinemm ICE CREAM CABINET Application filed November 28, 1927. Serial No. 236,145.

, My invention relates to a novel cabinet which shall contain the entire apparatus for freezing, storing and dispensing ices and ice cream.

5 .In theart, other manufacturers have made cabinets which contained'a plurality 'of compartments for'storing and dispensing ice cream. It is also old to utilize sulphur dioxide as a refrigerant for such cabinets, but to the best of my knowledge and belief no one has provided a self-contained ,unit in whichthe freezer, hardening compartments and dispensing compartments, with all the necessary refrigerating appara- 1 tus, are housed in a single casing or cabinet. It is the object of my inventionto provide a cabinet-for ices and ice cream which shall contain a freezing compartment, a hardening compartment and a dispensin compartment with the compressor, con enser and evaporator all housed within the cabinet.

Thus,rfor an ice cream parlor or confectioner I have provided a cabinet which will lend attractiveness to his establishment and at the same time avoid the necessity of frequent inspectionson different floor levelsas is required where a freezer and refrigerating apparatus is on one floor, with a cooling and dispensing cabinet in the room in which the ice cream is ordinarily served.

Other objects are the provision of an ice cream freezer having a permanent hot water connection for washing out the freezer with a heater for the wash water also contained within the compartment, and the provision of novel valves for the wash water connection which will breakaway ice from the walls of the freezer so as not to block the openingof the wash water valves.

Another object is the provision of a novel drain line for wash water which may be xmoved into receiving position, but which can, when not in use, be moved entirely out of the way so as not to interfere with the dispensing of frozen cream from the freezer.

It is ,my object to, provide a novel automatic control both for the mechanical freezing operation andthe refrigerating operation. In ice cream freezers the use of an overload switch for shutting or the motor operating the dasher in the freezer is well known. To the best of my knowledge and belief, however, no one has provided an overload switch which can be manually operated at will. In operating the mechanical 'dasher within the freezer an overload switch is very useful in cutting off the power when the cream has been frozen to a certain consistency. However, since the washout operation is carried out with the motor also running, the overload switch is of no use as the consistency of the wash water does not change materially. In order to make the overload switch available both as an overload and a manually operative control, I have incorporated bothfunctions in a single switch unit. Further, it ismy object to provide a control which will enable the refrigerant. compressor to operate with much fewer starts and stops for controlling the temperature within a given range than has heretofore been possible.

Finallyit is my object in the preferred modification illustrated to immediately surround the freezing compartment with a sealed brine chamber and to dispose brine coils within the brine chamber so that much 'ment, as has been customary practice in the Y prior art.

The above and other objects to which reference will be made in the ensuing disclosure I accomplish by that certain combination and arrangement of parts which I have illustrated.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the cabinet with portions .of the cooling and dispensing portion of the cabinet shownin a horizontal, sectional view.

Figure 2 is,a vertical sectional view of the cabinet with the freezing unit not shown, as it is clearly illustrated in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Figure 3 is asectional View of the freez- 3 3 in Figure l.

I scale of my novel overload switch for controlling the operation of the dasher motor. Figure 8 is a plan view of the switch shown in Figure 7.

The compartment is divided into four main compartmentsthe compartment A within which the compressor condensing unit and automatic control, for the compressor motor is housed; the compartment B within which the dispensing cans of ice cream are stored; the compartment C within which the cans of ice cream are placed to harden after freezing, and the compartment D within which the freezer, freezer motor, and hot water wash-out system is enclosed.

The walls of the compartments B and C are well insulated with layers of cork or other suitable insulating material. I have shown two sets of storage receptacles 1 in the compartment C in which the cans of ice cream are stored for hardening, and three sets of receptacles 2 in the compartment B in whichthe cream is stored for dispensing.

Suitable covers 3 and 4 are provided for the receptacles 1 and 2 respectively so that they will be accessible from above. The receptacles 1 and 2 are set in casings 5 and 6 respectively, and brine or alcohol or some other suitable anti-freeze liquid is circulated within the casings as will be hereinafter described. Between the two compartments B and C I have provided a shutter 7 with a handle 8 extending out at the top of the compartment with which the shutter may be operated. In order to make the shutter non-conductive to heat I have composed it of two sheets of fiber 9 with cork insulation 10 disposed between the fiber sheets. I find that this provides an excellent non-conductive shutter which will also be proof against corrosion by the brine solution and which will have little tendency to warp so as to permit leakage around its edges.

The freezer which is of the horizontal type is located within the compartment D. The freezer container 11 has a conventional type of dasher l2 journaled in bearings 13 in the closure lid 14 and bearings 15 in the closed end 16. A set of reduction gears 17 driven by a chain 18 from the motor 19 drives the agitator which is composed of an catch 21 is provided which retains the cover in closed position. A gasket 22 prevents leakage from the freezer around the head.

For washing out the freezer I have shown the electric heater 23 with a switch 24 for controlling the heat of the heater, and a water line 25 supplies water for the heater. Pipes 26 run from. the heater to the freezer cylinder, and I have provided novel valves which cannot be blocked by ice forming in the pockets where the pipes 26 are attached to the walls of the cylinder. The valves have stems 27 with conical closure portions 28 which seat against annular tapered seats 29 in what is normally the reverse of the position in which a valve usually seats in that the seat is on the pressure side of the line instead of the valve. At the ends of the stems spear points 30 are provided which break any ice which forms in the valve pocket when the stem is turned to open position. Aside from the spear points for breaking away any ice which forms the valves are of conventional type having threaded stems 31 which fit in threads 32 and with stuffing boxes 33 to prevent leakage around the valve stem.

Mounted on brackets 34 extending up from the casting of compartment D I have shown the receiver 35 for ice cream mixes. There is a discharge pipe 36 extending from the receiver which controls the discharge by gravity into the funnel 37. A

valve 38 is arranged in the funnel which controls the flow of the ice cream mix through a. passage 39 through the cover 14 into the freezer.

The'mechanical operation of the freezer will be apparent. A mix is poured into the receiver. The cover is secured against the freezer, and the valve 38 opened to permit the mix to be discharged into the freezer. The motor is then turned 011 and the freezing apparatus which will be hereinafter described is started up. The switch for controlling the operation of the freezer motor is indicated generally at 39a. The construction of the overload switch which I prefer to employ is well illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. I have provided a lamin-, ated iron core 40 which is connected in series with the motor 19. When the load on the motor becomes great enough, as brought about by the thickening cream, enough current passes through the coil 41 mounted about the magnet to cause the energizing of the magnet and the drawing upward of the armature .42. When the armature 42. is pulled against the magnet the contact.

= tends to hold the hooked arm in looking position, The hooked arm 45 is, however, releasable from the outside by a push but,- ton 47 which engages an extended end 48 of the arm 45 and. rocks the arm into inhibitive position. The armature also has a spring 49 which tends to pull it into closed position as indicated. Figures 7 and 8 show the structure with the armature held against the magnet and the connection to the motor broken. It will be obvious that if the operator desires to operate the switch independently of the overload magnet all that he has to do is to press in on the button 47 and the switch will close. Another button 50 is arranged to actuate the armature and move it into open position heldbe hindthe hooked arm. Both push buttons 47 and 50 are spring pressed to inoperative position. It will thus be apparent that although the overload switch may be used to control the thickness to which the ice cream is frozen, when the freezer is to be washed out the manually operative buttons may be used.

For discharging the contents of the freezer a slide valve 14a in the cover 14 is opened, and a can, as indicated in dotted lines at 51, is placed under the lower edge of the freezer and the contents discharged into it. A side wall of the compartment. D may be hinged to permit the insertion of the can as indicated at 51a. The lid is then closed and wash water is run in by the opening of the valves 28, the ice being broken out of the valve pockets by the spear points 30. 5 When it is desired to wash out the wash water from the freezer, the lid is swung open and a swiveled pipe 52 having a funnel at its receiving end is swung in under the discharge edge of the freezer and the wash water run to the drain. The pipe 52'is ordinarily swung back out of the way as indicated at 52a in Figure 6. The freezing of theice cream is accomplished by expanding a liquid refrigerant such as sulphur dioxide in a brine tank set between the cooling receptacles andthe dispensing receptacles and then pumping'the chilled brine through coils in a chambersurrounding the freezer which is filled with brine. The only inlet and outlet for the brine chambersurrounding the freezer 'is i for purposes of charging'and allowing for expansion. Thus I have shown the shell 53 surrounding the freezing compartment 11. Within the shell the brine solution is retain ed. The evaporated refrigerant is compressed with a compressor-54 through the tively.

pipes 55 into the air condensing unit 56. The condensing unit is of conventional type. From the condensing unit pipes 57, 58, lead to the evaporators 59, 60, respec- The evaporators are located respectively between the pairs of cooling receptacles 1 and the receptacles 2. Surrounding thecoils of the evaporating units arethe casings5 and 6 which are filled with brine or some other suitable antifreeze solution. A suction pipe 61 leads from the brine immediately adjacent the evaporators to the brine pump 62 which pumps the coldest brine through the pipes 63 tothe coils 64 in the closed brine compartment surrounding the freezer. The brine circulates. through the coils 64 through the pipes 65 which maintains the circulation required through the branch pipes 66, 67, which have valves 68, 69, by which the proportion of brine which passes toeach compartment may be controlled.

-A mercury thermometer is located in the brine tank of the compartment C which controls the thermostatic switch 71 which turns on and off the motor 72 which operates the compressor motor. The construction of the thermostatic switch is disclosed in' my co-pending application Serial 236,146, filed Nov. 28, 1927. J i As, disclosed in this co-pendingv case the switch and circuits control the operation of v the motor between predetermined ranges of temperature in accordance with the requirements for the different compartments.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letsaid cabinet, said washwater container provided with permanent piping connected to said freezer, a valve in said permanent piping, said valve provided with means for piercing an ice pocket formed in the connec-' tion of said permanent piping and said freezer.

3. A cabinet for ices and ice cream comprising a freezer, a freezer compartment, and a wash water container self-contained within said cabinet, said wash water con-- tainer provided with permanent piping con y nected to said freezer, and a drain line movably mountedso as to be movable into position to match the wash water from said freezer. v I I 4. A'cabinet for ices and ice cream comprising a freezer, an insulated compartment f containing said freezer, an insulated compartment for solidifying frozen products, an insulated compartment for dispensing frozen products, refrigerating means, a cir- 5 culatory brine system, and said freezer having a closed brine compartment surrounding same, said compartment provided with means for receiving the coldest brine from said circulating system, said freezer having a motor driven dasher, and. automatic means for limiting the operation of said motor having manual means for controlling the operation of said dasher during the washing out operation.

5. In a refrigerating cabinet, a freezer having permanent piping thereto for delivering wash water thereto for cleansing said freezer, and a valve in said permanent piping provided with ice breaking means.

0 6. In a refrigerating cabinet, a freezer having permanent piping thereto for delivering wash water thereto for cleansing said freezer, and a valve in-said permanent piping provided with ice breaking means,

said means comprising a spear point adapted to extend through walls of said freezer during the operation of opening said valve.

JAMES M. LAIRD. 

